Basement Walls Crumbling

Your home often sends clear signs when its foundation is failing. Cracked or buckling walls are the most common signs of a crumbling foundation and stress in your home’s support system. Basements in the Pacific Northwest often have cracked and crumbling basement walls and floors.

These issues are often caused by the region’s heavy rainfall, which leads to water pooling around the foundation and increasing hydrostatic pressure. Over time, this pressure can cause walls to bow or shift, compromising the structural integrity of your home, which leads to basement walls crumbling. Additionally, poor drainage systems and expansive clay soils can exacerbate these problems, leading to uneven settling and further damage. Ignoring these warning signs can result in costly repairs and even reduce your property’s overall value.

Not all signs of basement walls crumbling are symptoms of serious damage, but these signs are strong signals that it is time for a professional evaluation:

  • Leaking from your basement walls
  • Spelling and rust-colored cracks indicate corroding rebar
  • Efflorescence on concrete or cinder block walls

TERRAFIRMA IN ACTION

Our team has over 20 years of experience fixing foundations across Oregon & Washington.
Check out their helpful Homeowner Tips and some great Case Studies of our Foundation Repair work.

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REVIEWS

Don’t take our word for it – see what our clients have to say.
From Roseburg to Eugene, Portland to Seattle, our Foundation Repair work speaks for itself

We have had thoroughly excellent service from TerraFirma since October, 2017, for a variety of issues involving flooding and foundations. TerraFirma seems to us completely competent and reliable. We would recommend this company to one and all.
We had Riley Andal at our house to consult on a settling foundation. Riley was courteous, professional and knowledgeable. With no pressure, Riley followed up over the next few days while we explored our options. When I would reach out for clarification of industry terms and procedures, he responded quickly with good answers. He never down talked the competition, only positive promotion of his company. If you request a quote from TerraFirma in the greater Tacoma/Auburn area, I hope you get Riley as your consultant.
Had TerraFirma come to our home for estimate to level our drive way, which had been "leveled" 2x prior and failed, Turns out, in less than 1.5 yrs, our home fell forward 1.78 inches and cracked our foundation in 3 places... YIKES! The work got underway once permits came in, the 2 crews did an install of 4 piers indide our garage and leveled a driveway, walkway and entry steps.
Hands Down, we are beyond words Beyond expectations happy with our now Safe home!! If you need any of the services TerraFirma provides, hit me up... I will fill you in on how professional, respectful and knowledgeable their crews and staff are! In all 5 Star ratings, we wish we could give a 10+
I was referred to John from Terra Firma when I was looking to have our foundation inspected. John was very friendly and knowledgable and came out to our house to measure and inspect everything. In the end he was able to put our mind at ease and did a great job of explaining different scenarios and what he was looking for.

John even inspected the crawlspace while he was out and provided great feedback there as well. Overall we got a lot of good information and never felt as though we were being pushed into unnecessary services.

I will certainly be reaching out to Terra Firma for any future needs!
With a water floored basement, we contacted Terra Firma to locate the water source which they did in no time. They explained, in detail, what would be done to fix the problem and went to work. They were respectful of our furnishings covering to protect them from limited dust. They were professional and the project was completed on time. We are very satisfied with the end result, quality of workmanship, and price. We would recommend them for foundation work of any type.
Very pleased with the work, from the beginning sales person visit to the ending follow-up chats, on the phone, about the work performed. We had a foundation...
Great work. I had huge foundation issues on a large waterfront project. Terra firma waterproofed my basement and lifted the house on hydolic piers to level it out. They saved my project. Seth was a fantastic project manager and Oscar and Jorge completed the job extremely well. 10/10 would recommend for any foundation issues.
Don't hesitate, call these folks and specifically ask for Seth!! I am not a construction minded individual and had a level of intimidation when asking to have someone come out to look at our foundation, but Seth made everything so dang easy. Never once did I feel like he was talking over my head (very knowledgable!) and was extremely respectful with any/all questions I had. He truly took his time and didn't make me feel like I was wasting his. 100/10!
This was truly an awesome experience, from the time Will arrived to do the estimate, to completion of the job a little more than a week later. Will gave us great insight as to the foundation and build of our home. We were having issues with a back patio and front steps that were added to the property post build and had sunk quite a bitt.

All the folks we dealt with at TerraFirm were friendly, informative, helpful and kind. From our initial contact with Hillary to schedule appointments, to our very informative meeting with Will for the appraisal and estimate, and a very special shout-out to Schylar and Jonny, for a very cool learning experience during installation. We pestered them with questions the entire time they were here and they graciously and willingly answered them all! great crew, awesome job and a joy to spend time with.

Thank you all for a great experience!!!

Michele
I don’t usually do reviews but in this case people should know this is a first class company. Great communications and no selling you on something you don’t need. John was very professional, he spent time with us expanding what issues he did find, measured the level of the floors, inspected under the house and checked wall and foundation cracks. He also placed a blanket down to collect any dirt from entering and exiting the crawl space inside the house. I highly recommend John from the Eugene office and TerraFirma.
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Foundation Repair Homeowner Questions

Are cracks in a basement floor normal?

Cracks in concrete are common. However, cracks are symptoms of potentially larger issues. The size, placement, and direction of cracks in your basement floor or walls can give insghts into the nature of the issue. Schedule your free in-home inspection with TerraFirma to learn more.

When should I worry about cracks in my basement floor?

You should be concerned about foundation cracks if the cracks in your basement floor are wider than 1/8 inch, spread to and up the foundation walls, appear in a circular pattern, are wet or show signs of water intrusion, have mold around them, have a white flaky substance around them

Are foundation repairs covered by homeowner’s insurance?

Insuance policies vary from home to home and company to company. The best action is always to speak with your insurance company to understand what is covered under your specific policy. Generally, home owners insurance will cover repairs if the damage can be tied back to an event e.g. leaky water heater, tree fell on house etc.

Does foundation repair affect/increase home value?

Yes. A damaged foundation can cause significant loss in property value, as well as potentially scaring off interested buyers. Repairing a damaged foundation helps restore the lost value in a home, and can even increase value when the repairs carry a transferable and long term warranty.

How long does foundation repair take?

Scope, size, and type of repair can vary, as will the amount of time a repair can take. However, most repairs can be made within a few days.